Midterm Notes

The paintings of Velazquez, are they realistic or not?

Realism is the form of art that depicts its subjects truthfully, by creating pictures/illustrations of lifeforms, perspectives, with the use of light and color, showing the ugly and emotionless, to show real and typical people, to show viewers situations with truth and accuracy.

The Painting of the Soldiers- The picture of the soldiers could be considered not realistic because there is emotion where it evokes a sense of human compassion and tranquility after a war. 

There is a lack of truth in the soldier painting where the viewer thinks that the two men in the center are amiable, that it is a painting of peace, but in the background there is smoke which hints that there is destruction in the city.  The painting with the soldiers could be considered realistic because it deals with human relations.

The Painting of the Pope- The artist’s work could be considered realist because of the painting with the pope because this painting depicts the unpleasant physical characteristics of the pope, and in realism the artist isn’t afraid to show unpleasantness.  Often times in realism sordid or ugly details aren’t fixed, and the pope’s ugly features remained ugly in this painting, which gives it a realistic characteristic. 

One could, on the other hand, argue that the pope painting isn’t realist because his clothing is very wealthy and beautiful, and in realism often people from ordinary life are portrayed.

The Painting of Venus- The “La Venus de Espejo” could be considered not realistic because it shows emotion through the beauty of Venus and her gaze in the mirror and the nudity.  Also there is a lack of ugliness, but a sense of beauty. 

The painting with Cupid and Venus obviously takes place in a very distant time, and in realism contemporary settings are more common, so this is another reason one could say that Velazquez’s work isn’t realistic.

Also in realism sentimentalism is avoided, and this is obvious in the painting of the pope, but not as much in the painting of Venus and Cupid.  In the painting of the Pope he is expressionless, but in the painting of Venus and Cupid both have very intense facial expressions.